Aerator pump for shoes



April 27, 1954 A. c. CRAWFORD 2,676,422

AERATOR PUMP FOR SHOES Filed Aug. l5, 1951 JNVENToR. ARTHUR C. CRAM-'012D ATTORNEY in an aerator pump for shoes Patented Apr. 27, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE AERATOR PUMP FOR VSHOES Arthur C. Crawford, Rodeo, Calif. Application August 13, 1.951,- Serial No. 241,558 2 Claims. (Cl. 36-6) The present invention relates to improvements particularly intended to automatically aerate the inside of foot Wear, such as boots, Waders, shoes and the like, while the foot wear is being used in walking or other exercises.

When foot Wear is used in walking or other exercises there is a continuous reciprocating movement between the rear portion of the foot and the corresponding portion of the foot wear, the heel portion of the foot being lifted away from the heel portion of the foot wear at the initiation of every step, and coming down rmlyy upon the foot wear at the end of each step.

In the present invention it is proposed to utilize this reciprocating motion of the heel section with respect to the foot wear for actuating a pump interposed between the bottom of the foot and the heel section of the foot wear, the pump being intended to continuously remove foul air from the contact area and to allow fresh air to enter.

In carrying out this idea, it is proposed to provide a iiat pump chamber adapted for placing in the bottom of the foot wear and resilient means inside the pump chamber adapted to expand the latter as the foot is lifted and to collapse under the weight of the descending foot, the pump chamber being provided with suitable intake and exhaust ports and valves for pumping action.

It is further proposed to provide for a conduit connecting the exhaust ports with the upper end of the foot wear so as to allow the pump gas or foul air to be discharged over the upper edge while fresh air is allowed to enter from all around the foot wear to replace the foul air.

' It is further proposed to provide an extension sheet for the pump chamber extending clear to the front end of the foot wear so as to retain the pump chamber in the rear portion of the latter.

It is a further feature of the present invention to arrange the pump chamber somewhat narrower than the width of the foot wear so that the side walls of the pump chamber are spaced from the side walls of the foot wear and may be utilized for accommodating the intake and exhaust ports.

And finally, it is proposed to use for the resilient expansion means a corrugated sheet of sponge rubber or similar material, the sheet being arranged to stop short of the side edges of the pump chamber so as to provide side passages. and with the corrugations disposed transversely 2 to establish communicationybetween the side passages Aand to allow of free circulation of air through the chamber.

Further objects and advantages of my invention will appear as the specification proceeds, and the novel features of my invention will be fully defined in the claims attached hereto.

The preferred form of my invention is illustrated' in the accompanying drawing. in which Figure l shows a side view of' a boot equipped with my aerator pump, portions being shown in section,

Figure 2, a horizontal 2-2 of Figure 1,

Figure 3, a tranverse section taken along line 3 3 of Figure 2, and

Figure 4 a transverse section taken along line 4-4 of Figure 2.

While I have shown only the preferred form of my invention, I Wish to have it understoodv that various changes and modifications may be made within the scope of the claims attached hereto without departing from the spirit of the invention. f

Referring tothe drawing in detail, the boot I may be of any conventional type, comprising a sole 2. a heel and an upper 4.

My pump 5 is` adapted for insertion into the boot over the heel section and consists primarily of a fiat pump chamber 6 made of ilexible material and ha'ving at top and bottom walls 1 andV 8 and vertical side walls 9.

The width of the pump chamber is somewhat less than the inside width of the bootso as to leave side passages I0 on opposite sidesvof the chamber. and the length of the latter is such that it extends over the heel and the instep of the' boot as shown. In order to insure proper positioning of the pump chamber in the rear portion of the boot. I provide an extension sheet II which may be formed integral with the top or the bottom wall of the chamber and which is commensurate with the inside dimensions of the forward portion of the boot.

The pump chamber is provided with a, resilient medium tending to expand the same. In the form shown, this resilient medium comprises a corrugated, rather heavy sheet I2 of sponge ub ber or similar material, the sheet being madey of a width slightly less than the inside width o! the pump chamberso as to leave side passages I3 along the side walls of the chamber, and the corrugations being arranged transversely to form numerouscommunications between the side passages for the free circulation cf air. The tcp and section' taken along line end thereof as v at 2-2, `or

4lifts the upper Wall of air from all around the foot bottom faces of the corrugations are preferably glued to the top and bottom members of the chamber respectively.

A number of intake ports I4 are arranged in the side walls of the pump chamber and are provided with suitable intake valves I5 which open when suction is created in the chamber, and close when the chamber is compressed.

A number of outlet ports I6 are also arranged in oneA-orboth,y side walls of the chamber, and tubes I'I communicating with the Voutlet ports may be made tc lead to a manifold I8 which again connects with a discharge tube I9 leading to the top of the boot. The latter tubemay, be guided along the upper of the boot,'as shown, preferably through the cavity behindthe ankle bone, the location of which is indicated at 20. l

The tube I9 is provided with a suitable check valve or exhaust valve indicated at 2| and may discharge into the atmosphere through the open through a lateral check valve 23 if it is desired to keep the fupperend closed. It may be secured upon-the innerrface of the vside Wall -of the boot by adhesive straps The `entire pump may be made as a separate unitary structure adapted for insertion into and removal vfrom the boot, or may be built into the latter as a permanent fixture.

In operation, as the Wearerof the boot lifts the rear portion of the foot in initiating a forward step, the corrugated sheet of sponge rubber the pump chamber and causes the latter to expand with the result-that chamber through the intakeports HI.` This. air is free to circulate through the entire chamber due to the arrangement of the'r side passages I3 and the --transverse channels formed, bythe cor- .rugations f As lthe wearer sets: his :footdown 'Y upon ycompletion of the forwardstep,the chamber is compressed, and the air present is, forced outthrough the ,outlet-ports I6, the Amanifoldy I8, the exhaust valve 2I and the tube I9 for discharge into the atmosphere. While air' issucked into the pump chamber from the lower portion of the boot, fresh air is drawn in from all around the legte replenish the supply.

I claim:

l. A pump chamber for a shoe of the character described, comprising'a flat c ase made-of flexible material and having topand bottom walls and a confining wall around the sides and the -rearthereof, the'case being dimensioned-to leave a free passage aroundthe confining --wall -when s Iitted into a shoe and the latter Wallhaving valved intake ports communicating directly with said passage throughoutgthe length of the Wall and .having an outlet port therein and a `conduit-dtrectly connectingtherewith, and resilient means inside the case to resi-liently--space the --top and is sucked into vthe bottom Walls, the resilient means being operable by foot pressure to yield for driving air confined in the case through the conduit, and being adapted upon release of the foot pressure to draw air from all around the case into the latter for discharge by subsequently applied pressure.

2. A pump chamber` for a shoe of the character described, comprising a flat case made of flexible material and having top and bottom walls and a confining wall around the sides and the rear thereof, the case being dimensioned to leave a free passage around the confining Wall when fitted into a shoe and the latter wall having valved intake ports communicating directly with said passage throughout the length of the wall andfhaving an outlet port therein and a conduit directly connectingtherewith, and resilient means inside the case to resiliently space the top and bottom walls, the resilient means being operable by foot pressure to yield for driving air confined in the casethrough the conduit, and being adapted upon release ofthe foot pressure to draw air from all around the case into the latter for discharge by subsequently applied pressure, and the resilient means comprisng a sheet of corrugated rubber having its corrugations disposed trans- Versely with respect to the case and stopping short of the sides thereof to allow of free communication of any of the intake ports with the outlet port.

References Cited in the le 0f this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 426,495 I Falkner Apr. 2 9, 1890 573,794 Warner Mar. 16, 1897 583,977 Gilbert Aug. 31, 1897 l 733,167 I Denton July r7, 190,3

l`1,134,399 Lack Apr. 6, 1915 1,194,152 y Douglas Aug. 8, 1916 1,453,394 Klepac May 1, 1923 1,527,371 n Mullarky Feb. 24, 1925 1,660,698 Williams Feb. 28, 1928 `2,010,151 Helwig Aug. 6, 1935 2,122,497 Smith July 5, 1938 2,164,877 Le Clair July 4, 1,939 2,329,209 Manson et al Sept. 14, 1943 2,474,815 Brahm July 5, 1949 ,2,480,035 Lindstrom Aug. 23, 1949 2,545,062 Whittington Mar. 13, 1951 2,552,711 Dunker May 15, 1951 2,560,120 Miller et al. July `10,1951 2,560,591 Oltrogge Julyl?, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date. 13,686 Great Britain July 5, 1901 105,616 Great Britain Apr, 20, 1917 89,045,V Sweden Apr. 13, 1937 France A Jan. 2 9, 1940 

